Centrifugal expulsion and retraction apparatus with tethered object

ABSTRACT

A hand held device for repeatedly ejecting and receiving balllike objects. The ball is fastened to a string that is connected to a rewinding mechanism. This mechanism is powered by a spring that stores potential energy for the return of the object when the ball is flung out from its housing chute. The rewinder causes the ball to return within close proximity of the chute but not necessarily directly therein. Other ball-like objects are discs or even rotating dual disks.

United States Patent Johnson Feb. 26,1974

54] CENTRIFUGAL EXPULSION AND 2,685,283 8/1954 snow-1...; 124/5 4 RETRACTION APPARATUS WITH 3,687,453 8/1972 Fraga 1,157,166 10/1915 Lukstat 46/59 TETHERED OBJECT Inventor: Preston Johnson, c/o 399 Deli, 399

8th Ave. (30th),-New York, NY. 10001 Filed: Feb. 21, 1973 Appl. No.: 334,475

US. Cl. 273/97 R, 124/5, 46/59 Int. Cl A63b 71/02 Field of Search 273/96 R, 97 R, 98; 124/1,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/1919 Sokol 124/5 8/1938 Heimers 273/97 R I Primary Examiner-Anton O. Oechsle Assistant Examiner-Marvin Siskind Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Hamlet E. Goore, Jr.

57 ABSTRACT A hand held device for repeatedly ejecting and receiving ball-like objects. The ball is fastened to a string that is connected to a rewinding mechanism. This mechanism is powered by a spring that stores potential energy for-the return of the object when the ball is flung out from its housing chute. The rcwindcr causes the ball to return within close proximity of the chute but not necessarily directly therein. Other ball-like objects are discs or even rotating dual disks.

5 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTEDFEBZBW 3,794,323

' sum 1 0F 2 it does not rely on the object bouncing from the handheld device, the return force is continuous throughout the entire throwout and return cycle and the propelled object is not limited to a sphere. The device may be used in many different modes and angles and will thereby develop coordination -and muscle tone in the user. Skills developed by a user will permit him to perform intricate and complicated maneuvers that will be interesting to an observer as well as to a performer.

This is a hand-held device, having the ability of flinging an object, such as a disc or sphere or segment thereof, that is originally contained therein, several feet into the air from a chute. The object is fastened to a string that is connected to the hand-held-device via a string rewind-means. The string rewind means is a mechanism powered by a spring or rubber band that stores potential energy for the return of the object when the object is flung out from the chute. The rewind means causes the object to return within close proximity to the hand-held device, but not necessarily within the chute of the hand-held device.

The operator must develop a certain level of proficiency and skill to repeatedly catch the object in the chute and to throw out and receive the object at various angles and directions.

The disc is composed of light-weight material, such as styrofoam, with a ballast and/or balancing weight in thecenter or about the circumference.

A variation in the basic theme of this invention is in I the form of rotating dual disc. In this configuration .two discs are connected and held parallel by a single shaft located through the centers of the two discs, leaving sufficient space between the discs to permit a string to be looped around the shaft permitting sufficient slippage to allow the disc to rotate,-thereby utilizing gyroscopic principles for disc stability. Rotation is imparted to the disc by frictional means from the sides of the chute, .which contact the disc when it is thrown out causing it to rotate in a plane perpendicular to the discs center shaft.

The handle of the hand-held device may be in a vari ety of configurations and may have the capability of being folded for compactness.

FIG. 1 is aperspective view of the device utilizing a disc.

FIG. 2 is a plan cross sectional view of a device showing the inner part of the device with the object at rest within the chute.

FIG. 3 is a plan view similar'to FIG. 2 showing object in an out position.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the device in a form where the object is a sphere having been projected from the device and shows how handle may be folded.

FIG. 5 is a plan sectional view of the device in the configuration with rotating dual disc showing the rotational effect with friction pads to impart rotation.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of the dual disc that are shown in FIG. 5 designed for rotation giving a gyroscopic effect for stability.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view demonstrating a plurality of parallel discs after being flung from the chute and said disc being held separately by elastic string.

FIG. 8 is a section view of the configuration described for FIG. 7 having the plurality of discs at rest within the chute.

The material used in the construction of the preferred embodiment of the device described hereinshould be of suitable lightweight material which has strength sufficient to resist repeated stresses and strains which are applied through the device innormal use.'

The components thus may be made of plastic, styrofoam, lightweight wood, spring steel, rubber, string, and piano wire. It will be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to construction of the device from any particular material.

The device illustrated in the drawings consists of a chute with one end closed and a sufficiently large opening in the other end to receive an object, indicated generally by reference numeral 21 to which is connected a handle generally indicated by reference numeral 25. The chute shaped body 21 contains a spool 18 to which is attached a string 19. The string 19 is attached to the spool 18 and to an object (said object to be described in detailbelow). The spool is rotatably mounted on a shaft 13. The shaft 13 is held into position by two mounting brackets 23 with said'brackets being rigidly attached in the rear most portion of the chute 21 at the closed end of the chute 21. The spool 18 is attached to a spring 24 in such a manner that when string 19 is unwound from the spool 18 the spring 24 is caused to store potential energy in proportion to the amount of string 19 that is removed from the spool 18. The object 16 which may be received by the chute 21 and is connected to the string 19 consists of a sufficiently light material to perform as described herein. FIG. 2 shows the object as a disc 16 with ballast 17 centrally located. FIG. 3 shows the object 16 as a disc with ballast 17 peripherally located about the object 16. FIG. 4 shows the object 16 as a sphere. FIG. 5 and 6 show the object as a rotational set of discs held in parallel planes by being connected at their centers to a cylindrical center post in such a manner as to allow sufficient clearance between the set of discs to permit discs to rotate freely in a plane perpendicular to the axis when the string 19 is looped about the center posts 12 in such a manner as to allow rotation of the discs and center. post 12. FIGS. 7 and 8 show the object 16 in the form of a plurality of discs having one disc axially attached to the string 19 and a plurality of elastic strings 1S axially attached to the center of each disc whereby each disc is connectedto each adjacent disc by the elastic string 15 in such a manner to allow said discs to rest in the chute 21, as illustrated in FIG. 8 and to have a springing action when said discs are ejected from the chute 21, as shown in FIG. 7.

FIGS. 2, 3, 5 and 8 show stoppers 22 rigidly mounted v 3,794,323 3 4 F IG. 4 shows how the handle 25 pivotally mounted 3. A combination in accordance with claim 1,

-to the chute 21 by a pin 26 at the axis of rotation, may wherein said limited sized object comprises;

be folded to created added compactness in storage. k. a disc,

I claim: l. A hand held apparatus for repeatedly ejecting and receiving associated objects, which comprises:

a. a spool,

b. a limited sized object,

c. a string attached to said object,

d. a plurality of stoppers,

e. a chute,

f. a handle attached to said chute,

g. a retracting means, attached to-said string and mounted in said chute, for winding the majority of said string onto said spool thereby causing tension in said string maximumly sufficient to retract said limited sized object into said chute and maintain said limited size object at rest against said stoppers and minimally sufficient to 'permit said limited sized object to'escape sa'id chute when sufficient centrifugal force is generated when the apparatus is rapidly taken through an arch like motion by a person holding the apparatus by said handle; I

h. a means for mounting said spool and said retracting means in said chute with said chute being sufficiently large to house said spool, said limited sized object, said string, .said plurality of stoppers, said retracting means and said mounting means.

2. A combination in accordance with claim 1,

wherein said limited sized object comprises;

i. a sphere, j. a ballast-comprising part of said sphere.

l. a ballast comprising part of said disc. 4. A combination in accordance with claim 1 wherein said apparatus comprises;

in. a center post having said string pivotally attached,

n. two parallel discs, comprising said limited sized ob ject, axially connected to said center post such that a space of sufficient height exists between said parallel discs to permit discs to rotate freely in a plane perpendicular to the centerline of said center post while being held by said string pivotally mounted to center post between said'parallel discs,

o. a plurality of friction pads mounted in the chute whereby when parallel discs are ejected, from said chute, one of said friction pads contacts a circumfrential edge of each of said parallel discs causing said parallel discs to roll from chute thereby imparting parallel rotation to said parallel discs.

5. A combination in accordance with claim 1 wherein said apparatus comprises;

p. a plurality of discs comprising said limited sized object having one disc axially attached to said string at center of said one disc,

q. a plurality of elastic means axially attached to the center of each disc whereby each disc is connected to each adjacent disc in such manner-to allow said discsto rest in the chute and have a springing action when said discs are ejected from chute. I i 

1. A hand held apparatus for repeatedly ejecting and receiving associated objects, which comprises: a. a spooL, b. a limited sized object, c. a string attached to said object, d. a plurality of stoppers, e. a chute, f. a handle attached to said chute, g. a retracting means, attached to said string and mounted in said chute, for winding the majority of said string onto said spool thereby causing tension in said string maximumly sufficient to retract said limited sized object into said chute and maintain said limited size object at rest against said stoppers and minimally sufficient to permit said limited sized object to escape said chute when sufficient centrifugal force is generated when the apparatus is rapidly taken through an arch like motion by a person holding the apparatus by said handle; h. a means for mounting said spool and said retracting means in said chute with said chute being sufficiently large to house said spool, said limited sized object, said string, said plurality of stoppers, said retracting means and said mounting means.
 2. A combination in accordance with claim 1, wherein said limited sized object comprises; i. a sphere, j. a ballast comprising part of said sphere.
 3. A combination in accordance with claim 1, wherein said limited sized object comprises; k. a disc, l. a ballast comprising part of said disc.
 4. A combination in accordance with claim 1 wherein said apparatus comprises; m. a center post having said string pivotally attached, n. two parallel discs, comprising said limited sized object, axially connected to said center post such that a space of sufficient height exists between said parallel discs to permit discs to rotate freely in a plane perpendicular to the centerline of said center post while being held by said string pivotally mounted to center post between said parallel discs, o. a plurality of friction pads mounted in the chute whereby when parallel discs are ejected, from said chute, one of said friction pads contacts a circumfrential edge of each of said parallel discs causing said parallel discs to roll from chute thereby imparting parallel rotation to said parallel discs.
 5. A combination in accordance with claim 1 wherein said apparatus comprises; p. a plurality of discs comprising said limited sized object having one disc axially attached to said string at center of said one disc, q. a plurality of elastic means axially attached to the center of each disc whereby each disc is connected to each adjacent disc in such manner to allow said discs to rest in the chute and have a springing action when said discs are ejected from chute. 